1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the configuration of an instrument in a process control system, and more particularly to a computer-based configuration program for configuring user settings of such an instrument.
2. Background Information
Instruments used in process control (e.g., factory automation) systems, such as transmitters and other field devices, typically require customization for the specific needs of the system. Some instruments may be configured directly through an instrument's user interface, such as a front panel display and keyboard. However, as transmitters and the like have become increasingly sophisticated, it has become increasing cumbersome to effect a complete configuration solely using the instrument's interface. Moreover, these relatively simple user interfaces may not be capable of adequately displaying all of the numerous combinations of options once they are configured. Still further, the physical locations of the various field devices, e.g., on factory floors or other industrial environments, often present sub-optimal conditions for effecting what may amount to relatively complex programming operations.
To address these concerns, computer-based (e.g., PC-based) configuration programs have been developed, with which relatively complicated instrument customizations may be performed, and then downloaded to the instrument. These configuration programs are provided with a set of configuration rules (e.g., “business logic”) which include various configuration options available for particular instruments. The configuration programs use these configuration rules to present the various configuration options to the user for selection, to determine whether the particular options selected by the user are consistent with the configuration rules, and to then generate user settings based on the selections.
These configuration programs run on a configurator platform, such as a Windows™ platform, and typically can not be run on a different target instrument platform. In addition, the generated user settings may not precisely match the functionality of the target instrument. They also run the risk of not being kept up to date with changes made to the instrument. As such, the user settings initially generated by these configuration programs are often not ready for immediate implementation on the instrument. Rather, these preliminary user settings must typically be downloaded to the instrument, and then adapted for consistency with the instrument. Such use of these configuration programs thus effectively requires the user settings to be configured twice, once for the configuration program platform, and again for the instrument platform.
This conventional multi-step configuration approach is shown in FIG. 1, which includes configuring user options for a target instrument in a configurator on a Windows™ platform at 21; and transmitting the configured user settings to the target instrument at 23. After the user settings have been transmitted to the target instrument, the configuration settings are adapted, or re-configured, for the target instrument platform at 25.
It will be recognized that this adaptation 25 represents additional time and effort beyond that associated with the initial configuration 21. Also, problems with the selected user options, such as incompatibilities, etc., with the particular version of the instrument in use, may not become apparent until after the user settings have been downloaded into the instrument. This relatively late awareness of configuration issues may be particularly problematic, as it may constitute an unanticipated delay in bringing the process on-line after a shut-down. Moreover, these issues often require correction in the field, with the configuration computer physically plugged into the instrument, i.e., under the often sub-optimal conditions discussed above.
Thus, a need exists for a “dual platform” configuration program that enables accurate customization of a target instrument on a configurator platform, independently of the target, so that completed configuration settings may be downloaded to an instrument with a different platform, substantially without the need for further adjustment.